Dahlia plant named ‘Carolina Burgundy’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant named ‘Carolina Burgundy’, characterized by its upright, uniformly mounded and compact plant habit; freely branching, full and dense plants; short response time; and dark red purple-colored ray florets with bright yellow-colored disc florets.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Dahlia variabilis cultivar Carolina Burgundy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahliaplant, botanically known as Dahlia variabilis, commercially referred toas a pot-type Dahlia, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘CarolinaBurgundy’.

The new Dahlia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of theDahlia variabilis cultivar Ruicaro, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.11,566. The new Dahlia was discovered and selected in 1997 by theInventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants ofthe cultivar Ruicaro in a controlled environment in Hillegom, TheNetherlands. The selection of this plant was based on its dark redpurple-colored ray florets.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by vegetative tip cuttings wasfirst conducted in Hillegom, The Netherlands in 1998. Asexualreproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newDahlia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Carolina Burgundy has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Carolina Burgundy’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Carolina Burgundy’ as a newand distinct pot-type Dahlia:

1. Upright, uniformly mounded and compact plant habit.

2. Freely branching, full and dense plants.

3. Short response time.

4. Dark red purple-colored ray florets with bright yellow-colored discflorets.

Plants of the new Dahlia differ from plants of the parent cultivarRuicaro and the cultivar Carolina Orange, U.S. Plant Patent applicationSer. No. 10/080,606 filed concurrently, primarily in ray floretcoloration.

Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the cultivarMaryland, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,602. However, inside-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plantsof the new Dahlia differed from plants of the cultivar Maryland in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Dahlia flower about one to two weeks earlier thanplants of the cultivar Maryland.

2. Plants of the new Dahlia had smaller leaves than plants of thecultivar Maryland.

3. Plants of the new Dahlia had smaller inflorescences than plants ofthe cultivar Maryland.

4. Plants of the new Dahlia and plants of the cultivar Maryland differedin ray floret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Dahlia showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newDahlia.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Carolina Burgundy’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used in theaforementioned photographs, and the following observations andmeasurements were grown and flowered during the autumn in aglass-covered greenhouse in De Lier, The Netherlands. One rooted cuttingwas planted in a 10.5-cm container and pinched one week after planting.During the production of these plants, the day temperature ranged from19 to 21° C., night temperatures ranged from 18 to 20° C., and lightlevels ranged from 10,000 to 15,000 lux. Measurements and numericalvalues represent averages of typical flowering plants about eight weeksafter planting.

Botanical classification: Dahlia variabilis cultivar Carolina Burgundy.

Commercial classification: Pot-type Dahlia.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Dahlia variabiliscultivar Ruicaro, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,566.

Propagation:

Type.—Vegetative tip cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 22° C. Winter: About 8days at 20° C.

Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About 12 days at 22° C.Winter: About 16 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine and fibrous.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching; development of tubers has not beenobserved.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Herbaceous pot-type Dahlia. Inverted triangle; stems mostlyupright and somewhat outwardly spreading giving a uniformly moundedappearance to the plant; compact. Moderately vigorous.

Branching habit.—Freely branching, about six lateral branches developper plant; dense and full plants.

Plant height.—About 20 cm.

Plant width or area of spread.—About 19 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 17.5 cm. Diameter: About 7.5 mm.Internode length: About 3.5 cm. Strength: Moderately strong, flexible.Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Leaves single or compound with threeor five leaflets; opposite. Terminal leaflet length: About 6.75 cm.Terminal leaflet width: About 4.5 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base:Attenuate. Margin: Dentate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightlypubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Young foliage uppersurface: 137C. Young foliage lower surface: 138B. Mature foliage uppersurface: 137A. Mature foliage lower surface: 138B. Venation, uppersurface: 146D. Venation, lower surface: 137C. Petiole: Length: About 3.5cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 147C.

Inflorescences description:

Appearance.—Terminal and axillary inflorescences held above the foliageon strong flexible peduncles. Composite inflorescences form withelongated oblong-shaped ray florets and disc florets massed at thecenter; ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.Inflorescences not fragrant. Inflorescences persistent.

Flowering response.—Plants flower continuous and freely from the latespring through the fall.

Response time (time to flowering).—Short response time; plants beginflowering about six to seven weeks after planting rooted cuttings.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color andsubstance for about one to two weeks.

Quantity of inflorescences.—At full flower, about 20 open inflorescencesand buds per plant.

Inflorescences bud (before showing color).—Shape: Globular, roughlyspherical. Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Color: 144B.

Inflorescences size.—Diameter: About 7 cm. Depth (height): About 2 cm.Disc diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 2 cm. Receptacleheight: About 5 mm.

Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Orientation: Initially upright,outer florets perpendicular to peduncle. Aspect: Straight, concave.Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate;short corolla tube. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per inflorescences: About 75 inabout six or seven rows. Color: When opening, upper surface: 60A. Whenopening, lower surface: 60C. Fully opened, upper surface: 60A; withsubsequent development, 72A. Fully opened, lower surface: 60B to 60C.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Rounded. Length: About 1cm. Width: Apex: About 2 mm. Base: About 1 mm. Number of disc floretsper inflorescences: About 27. Color: Immature: 15B. Mature: Apex: 9A.Mid-section: 17A. Base: 145C.

Phyllaries (involucral bracts).—Quantity: About six or seven perinflorescences. Length: About 1.25 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape:Narrowly deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture,upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: Upper surface: 137B. Lowersurface: 143C.

Peduncles.—Length, terminal inflorescences: About 5 cm. Diameter: About3 mm. Aspect: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong, flexible. Texture:Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Stamenquantity: Five per floret. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape:Ovoid. Anther color: 9A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 17A.Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil quantity: Oneper floret. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Stigma color: 14A. Style length:About 8 mm. Style color: 7B. Ovary color: 1C.

Seed/fruit production.—Seed nor fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens or pests common toDahlias has not been observed on plants grown under commercialgreenhouse or outdoor conditions.

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Dahlia have been observed to bewind and rain-tolerant. Plants of the new Dahlia tolerant temperaturesfrom 1° to about 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant named‘Carolina Burgundy’, as illustrated and described.